OSWtv Meets…The Wizard

When did you start watching wrestling and was there a moment that got you hooked?

I started watching wrestling when I was a small child. We’d visit my Grandparents every Saturday and always watch World Of Sport on TV. I don’t know if I was hooked instantly but I did really enjoy watching the likes of Johnny Saint, Big Daddy, Kendo Nagasaki and “Iron Fist” Clive Myers, amongst others. My interest in wrestling waned slightly when WOS was cancelled a couple of years later, but it was reinvigorated in 1991 when I chanced across an issue of the WWF Magazine which contained a report on WrestleMania VII. From there I began watching WCW on ITV (I’ve never had Sky so I’ve never watched the WWF/WWE regularly) and became a fan of Sting – still my favourite wrestler of all time – and WCW in general. My fandom grew as I started dealing with tape traders to watch matches from Japan, Mexico, the USA, etc (YouTube didn’t exist back then!) and it’s never left me. Wrestling is my one true passion in life and I enjoy watching it as much as I can.

How did you get started in the wrestling business?

I’d stumbled across a link to the website of Scottish Championship Wrestling, which had yet to run a show at that point. When they announced their debut show for February 2002, I purchased the very first ticket and consequently was allowed to go along to the show early, meaning I got to watch everything getting set up, etc. Literally just before the doors opened, the promoter asked me if I wanted to do the music for him, i.e. playing everyone’s entrance themes, which I did. I was then asked to do the same on the second SCW show and it became a regular gig; I’d handle the music for all the SCW shows and I ended up continuing that when SCW folded and the SWA sprang up. In a nutshell, it was just dumb luck and being in the right place at the right time!

What do you think is the most important part about refereeing?

For me, a Referee needs to be virtually invisible yet remain authoritative, not draw attention to him/herself unnecessarily and, of course, know the rules of a match! Remembering any instructions is also a must. It’s easy to be a Referee but it’s hard to be a good Referee.

You also have your own YouTube show called Ref Cam. Tell us a little about that.

I started Ref Cam for a couple of different reasons. I wanted to show people that there’s more to a wrestling event than just sitting down and watching some matches; there’s lots of travelling involved, rings need built, chairs need put out, etc. I also wanted to somewhat document my life in the wrestling business and let people see the things that I do on the day of a show, the people that I work alongside and so on. Ref Cam is a pretty fluid concept; some episodes feature only me, some have interviews with wrestlers, some have more ‘behind the scenes’ footage, but hopefully people find them entertaining. Feel free to contact me with any feedback!

What have been your personal highlights so far in wrestling?

There have been so many – I’d struggle to narrow it down! Just being involved in the wrestling business is a highlight in itself. I’ve met some fantastic people over the years and getting to work with them has been an amazing experience. I have also been lucky enough to be involved in some brilliant matches either as a Referee or an MC (I do both things, don’t you know!) and I hope that it continues for many years to come!